If you are looking to cook more often and lower your food expenditure, invest in a rice cooker. This revelation will be old news for readers who come from cultures that traditionally eat a lot of rice, but it's been an amazing discovery for someone who doesn't.

Rice may not be the most nutritionally valuable food on the market, but at around $0.16 a serving, it's a cheap filler if you, like me, are on a budget. Rice quickly turns veggies and protein into a whole meal, and adds fiber, manganese, magnesium, and a little protein to the plate. Left to my own devices though, I cannot cook rice. The grains turn out undercooked or the bottom is coated in a thick layer of unappetizing char. I've ruined meal plans, destroyed pots, wasted time, and dumped unnecessary amounts of food into the garbage simply because I haven't mastered the art of stovetop rice cooking. I used to fear rice the way some bakers fear yeast. Magically, a rice cooker appeared under the tree this past Christmas. After a few days of eying it nervously (it does cook the dreaded rice, after all), I opened the box, plugged the contraption in, and gave it a spin. Within a half-hour, I had several cups of perfectly-cooked little grains. It's quickly become my favorite kitchen tool. A rice cooker is a must for the gluten-free crowd and handy tool for everyone else-- but vegetarians and vegans especially. A quick vegetarian meal (for me, at least) often means stir-fry, and stir-fry is much better when served on a bed of fluffy rice that is eager to soak up the savory juices clinging to the veggies. Still, I cannot tell you how many times I decided not to make even stir-fry because the task of making rice was too onerous. But not any more. Plus, a rice cooker has many other purposes besides just making plain rice. It can be used to make fancy rice dishes, steam vegetables, cook other grains, or even prepare entire one-pot meals-- chocolate cake, anyone? This makes it an excellent tool for vegetarian college students whose dining hall options may be lacking. Do you love your rice cooker as much as I do? Have any good recipes to share?

OK, I HAVE to get a rice cooker asap. My college roommate was from Korea and she had one going all the time but I never paid much attention to it at the time. My husband loves all things rice so I think this would be a welcome addition to our home. Chocolate cake in one? OK, that's definitely for me!

Making sure that your rice is not undercooked or overcooked is no longer a concern. When using a electric rice cooker you can say good-bye to burnt rice, ruined pots or having to serve rice less than perfect.

If rice cookers fell into that category, they would not be so necessary either, however, they do more than just cook rice. There are several choices that you can make when picking the right rice cooker for you and your family.